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Legal Read: Who gets copyright in other countries, photographer or client?


PhotoArchiveNews.com reader and contributor Charles Swan a founding partner of London based leading media law firm Swan Turton and director of the Association of Photographers in the UK has sent PAN an updated on his stats on commercial photo copyright by country.
This is the kind of photo business info we all need but rarely have access to, if you have a question or a subject you would like Charles to tackle via PAN send it to [email protected]

Who gets copyright in other countries, photographer or client?

30 years ago UK photographers were at a disadvantage compared to other creative suppliers such as illustrators or composers. Copyright in a photographer’s work automatically belonged to the client unless otherwise agreed. Thanks to lobbying by the Association of Photographers and others this was reversed in 1988. Since then, copyright in commissioned photographs has belonged to the photographer, unless otherwise agreed.

The economic significance of this for commercial photographers cannot be overestimated.

But what about the rest of the world? Are the IP rights UK photographers won a generation ago enjoyed everywhere, or are UK photographers now better off than photographers in other countries?

It turns out we are now in step with almost everywhere else. I checked the copyright laws of 26 countries. I could only find the following countries which still give copyright to the client unless otherwise agreed:
India
South Africa
Portugal
Namibia
The full list of the countries I checked is: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA.

These countries account for 75% of global GDP and include all the top 10 countries. It is safe to assume that copyright laws which by default deprive commissioned photographers of copyright still apply in only a handful of countries representing a tiny proportion of global economic activity.

Most of the world’s creative economy functions perfectly well with photographers retaining copyright in their work: perhaps it is time for India, South Africa, Portugal and Namibia to rethink.

• More by Charles:
Photo Law Specialists On Photo Competitions And Copyright – ‘Don’t Ask For Copyright’

Photo above Charles Swan – © Chris Frazer Smith